The Truth About Happiness

Happiness is found in the most unlikely places.

Sometimes happiness stems from loss— from the transformative power of letting go. Letting go of people who make us feel unworthy, relationships that are no longer benefiting us, feelings of self-doubt, unrealistic expectations that are controlling our lives, regrets, mistakes, and anything and everything else that is slowing destroying us.

Sometimes happiness emerges from the darkness. It can take an overwhelming breakdown to experience a breakthrough. But happiness exists when we consciously choose to move forward and turn our most painful experiences into our greatest triumphs.

Sometimes happiness can be found when we’ve lost all hope of ever fitting into society’s definition of success. When we stop putting pressure on ourselves to have everything figured out, when we stop trying to control the future, and when we stop trying to get all the ‘things’ we think we need in order to be happy (you know, the career, job, house, marriage, kids, and perfect white picket fence life). When we let go of unrealistic expectations about success, that is when happiness flourishes and hope thrives.

Sometimes, we have to lose everything we ever wanted in order to figure out what the word happiness even means. When everything external is taken away, we learn that we have the power to survive on our own because true happiness is internal— it is not dependent on things or people. It might take you a long time to realize this, but your heart is already full of gold and riches that no other person or worldly possession can ever provide or replace.

Listen— happiness is all around us and it blooms when we stop thinking about the ways in which the world is working against us, and we start thinking about how we can use our experiences to focus inward and not only survive the hurricane that is life but also celebrate it for what it is—a perfect beautiful mess that is happening right now. Embrace it!